Herlings Tops Trentino!!

Herlings Perfect in Italy

Posted on April 08, 2018

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has scored his 70th GP victory, by winning the Grand Prix of Trentino in the MXGP class with 1-1 results. The Dutchman used good starts and his blistering speed to dominate the weekend and continue KTMs domination of the MXGP and MX2 classes.

Herlings regained the red plate and now leads Cairoli by 10 points in the MXGP series points (191 to 181) as they head to Portugal for round five next weekend.

The orange army have now won every single GP in both classes, and only lost one race from the 16 run, with their little sister, Husqvarna getting a moto win today with Thomas Covington.

 "Second out of the start in the qualification race, holeshot from the first moto and second out of the start in the second moto. I am so glad we could put it together this weekend.  I am so grateful to the KTM team."

Second overall was Desalle, Clement with 2-3 results and third Antonio Cairoli with 4-2 scores.      

Herling is just getting better and better as he took victory in the opening MXGP race at the Grand Prix of Trentino. The Dutchman took the lead on the first corner and commanded the race from the front. Giving the opposition no chance to challenge his lead he eventually won by around 10 seconds.

"That was awesome and the right moment," Herlings said. "This track is difficult to pass. Hopefully another good start in the second moto. I am looking forward to the second moto and hopefully another start like that."

Antonio Cairoli did well to come through after a horrible first couple of laps where he went from fourth to eight, but fought back to fourth in the end.

Herlings took the holeshot from Febvre, Desalle, Cairoli, Gajser, Paturel, Coldenhoff, Liebr, Seewer and Nagl 10th. Gajser passed Cairoli and Paturel also went past the Italian. Cairoli in all sorts of trouble as Seewer and Coldenhoff also went past.

As Herlings looks in control up front, Cairoli struggled to pass Coldenhoff. Desalle moved past Febvre, and Paulin into 10th.

Desalle not letting Herlings get away as the gap remained at around two seconds after four laps, and Cairoli working over-time to get past Seewer, which he did on lap four.

Cairoli moved past Paturel, and went after Gajser who was four seconds ahead. After seven laps it was Herlings, Desalle, Febvre, Gajser, Cairoli, Paturel, Seewer, Paulin, Coldenhoff, and Lieber in 10th.

Paulin on a charge as he went past both Seewer and Paturel, and moved into sixth place. Seewer dropped back to ninth as Coldenhoff also passed him.

Desalle riding well, and after eight laps the lead of Herlings was just 1.4 seconds. Febvre in third was six seconds back from the leader. Herlings though turned it up a notch, just as he does mid-race and gapped Desalle by 2.6 on lap nine.

Paturel obviously feeling his lack of bike time dropped to 14th place as a handful of riders went past and Cairoli was getting closer to Gajser.

Lap 11 and Herlings moved to nearly four seconds ahead of Desalle, who was riding a lonely second place, then came Febvre, Gajser, Cairoli, Paulin, Coldenhoff, Seewer, Lieber and Simpson. Cairoli soon after moved past Gajser for fourth place.

13 laps and Herlings was putting on the speed as the lead went to six and a half seconds. 

Herlings wins it from Desalle, Febvre and Cairoli.

Cairoli took the holeshot in the second moto, and was followed by Herlings and Coldenhoff, then came Paturel, Desalle, Van Horebeek, Desprey, Paulin, Febvre and Lupino.

Cairoli was on it and trying to make a break, but Herling was coming. Herlings hounded Cairoli and then made a nice block pass on the Italian. Cairoli tried to slow and block Herlings, but the 2018 version of Herlings isn’t tricked by those tactics anymore.

After three laps it was Herlings, Cairoli, Coldenhoff, Desalle, Paturel, Van Horebeek, Paulin, Desprey, Febvre, and Seewer.

Just as it looked like Herlings would get away, Cairoli came back and was on the Dutchmans back wheel. While Herlings and Cairoli were playing up front, Coldenhoff and Desalle were also in a nice little battle. Desalle moving into third place on lap five.

Top ten after five laps was Herlings, Cairoli, Desalle, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Paulin, Febvre, Desprey, Seewer and Paturel.

Gotta hand it to Cairoli, he is still finding more speed at the twilight of his career, but its still Herlings in command. Third placed Desalle 10 seconds back and Gajser moved into 10^th place on lap eight.

After 11 laps it was Herlings by three seconds from Cairoli, then Desalle, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Paulin, Febvre, Seewer, Gajser and Desprey.

Herlings wins it from Cairoli and Desalle.

Ray Archer image

MXGP - Overall Classification

1             84           Herlings, Jeffrey NED       KNMV    KTM       25           25           50

2             25           Desalle, Clement              BEL        FMB       KAW      22           20 42

3             222        Cairoli, Antonio  ITA         FMI        KTM       18           22           40

4             461        Febvre, Romain FRA        FFM       YAM       20           14           34

5             259        Coldenhoff, Glenn            NED       KNMV    KTM       14           18   32

6             21           Paulin, Gautier   FRA        MCM     HUS       15           16           31

7             243        Gajser, Tim         SLO        AMZS     HON      16           13           29

8             89           Van Horebeek, Jeremy   BEL        FMB       YAM       11           15  26

9             91           Seewer, Jeremy SUI         FMS       YAM       13           11           24

10           141        Desprey, Maxime             FRA        FFM       KAW      9      

MIKE BROWN TALKS

MXA INTERVIEW: MIKE BROWN TALKS ABOUT LIFE, RACING & AGE

 Apr 3, 2018 Reprint from MXA 

   

Growing up, motocross has always been a passion of mine. We’re talking pajamas, movies, autographed posters from the pro’s, video games, a moto themed bedroom and on any given afternoon after school–you would find my little brother and I in the backyard replicating the past weekends Supercross tracks for our toy bikes. I mean really, the list could go on and on. That being said, the one toy that my brother and I would always fight over was the 2001 “Hot Wheels” Moto-X Mike Brown Pro Circuit KX125 action figure. We both were die hard Mike Brown fans and every weekend, we’d cheer him on. Fast forwarded to today, I still get a little giddy when I spot my childhood hero out riding, so, when I had the opportunity to catch up with Mike Brown at the “World Two-Stroke Championships” over the weekend at Glen Helen of course I took it. 

By Spencer Owens

FIRST OF ALL MIKE, WHAT’VE YOU BEEN UP TO? Just a little bit of everything really. Leading up to this I’ve been doing a lot of riding schools back home. I’m still traveling doing a lot races in Europe and South America. I’m still involved with Husky as their brand ambassador so I’m doing a lot of events for them, and just this week I’ve been out here doing some photo shoots with FXR before the Two-Stroke race. I’ve been traveling a lot.

YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU’RE STILL WORKING WITH HUSQVARNA AS THEIR BRAND AMBASSADOR. WHAT OTHER EVENTS WILL WE BE SEEING YOU AT THIS YEAR? Well, racing wise–just two weeks ago I was up in Canada for the Calgary Arenacross with the FXR guys. Presently we are here at Glen Helen for the Two-Stroke World Championships, next weekend I will be down in Argentina for some Enduro-cross before coming home for a few weeks. After that, I’m headed to Gorman, California, for some brand ambassador duties at the “Babes and Dirt” event, and I will be in Hawaii putting on a couple of motocross schools. After that I’ll be getting ready for Lorretta’s and the Vet MX Des Nations in England later this year. I’m really having fun with it, and I enjoy it more now because there’s not as much pressure.

I THINK HAVING FUN IS DEFINITELY A KEY IN THIS SPORT, AND YOU SEEM TO BE DOING IT RIGHT. TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE IN CANADA. It’s going great. It’s really laid back compared to the motocross Nationals, and being with the FXR guys while I’m there is a big plus. I get no pressure from those guys–they provide me with top quality gear to race in, I have a great bike from the guys at Husqvarna, the tracks are fun, and you can really get a lot of exposure from racing there. For a guy my age it’s sometimes hard to get the right exposure and keeping my name out there, but I think things are really going well and I enjoy racing up there.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR RACING THIS YEAR? To just have fun, really. For me, every time I go on the track I’m there to win, but I have to look at my age and what I’m putting into it. Just to go and race with the top guys is fun. I’m not expected to go out and win, I’m only expected to go out there get good starts, give it my best, and keep the FXR and Husky products out front.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR MX SCHOOLS. This year I have really been pushing my MX schools thanks to my friends at Bonanza Plumbing, who are also helping me out. I enjoy coaching and sharing my knowledge with others. Like I said, in just a few weeks I’ll be heading to Hawaii to do one, so that will be cool. Soon I’ll be putting together an “MX Vacation” program back east in partnership with Husqvarna Motorcycles. Nobody really has anything like that back east, and I’m really looking forward to putting it all together.

LET’S SWITCH THINGS UP A BIT. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH HUSQVARNA? The one thing that has stood out to me is the variety of new bikes that they have in their lineups every year. They have everything from a 2018 two-stroke to a 501 four-stroke. They’re great bikes. I mean, some of these guys out here at Glen Helen today are riding old Honda CR’s, and it feels good to roll up on a 2018 two-stroke that’s been updated over the recent years. Husqvarna is on top right now–so, you know it’s not a bad brand to ride for.

YOU MENTIONED FXR GEAR EARLIER. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GEAR. FXR is really coming out with some big changes. It’s very comfortable gear, which is nice. They’re always making changes and they’re never stale with it. They’re constantly improving the quality and product every year and I think that’s the main thing that people look at. Overall, it’s top-quality gear and some of the best I’ve ridden in.

THIS IS THE FAN IN ME, BUT WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE RACE OF YOUR CAREER? Oh, that’s hard. I remember a few two-stroke races back in the day with Ryno (Ryan Hughes) and (Grant) Langston that were great. Obviously racing with Bubba (James Stewart) was always fun too, but honestly as long is it was a good race and we were banging bars, it was a memorable for me.

International motorcross event to be held in Jefferson, TX

International motorcross event to be held in Jefferson

By: Nancy Cook

  

JEFFERSON, Texas - Diamond Don’s 16th Annual AHRMA Vintage International Motocross will be held April 13-15, 2018 at Diamond Don RV Park & Event Center located one mile from Jefferson, Texas. Over 800 entries are expected for this event.

The weekend will be full of international motocross legends, including several inductees to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Here is your chance to visit with and race against some of your idols: Steve Wise, Brad Lackey, Trey Jorski and Guy Cooper. Trampas Parker, international motocross legend from the Shreveport area will give everyone a run for their money.

Racers are coming from all over the world, including Europe and Australia.

H&H Music Racing Team will headline this year’s event as Diamond Don’s Legend for the weekend. Started in 1970 by Clint Hackney Jr, the H&H Music Racing team was an offshoot of the Houston, Texas-based H&H Music Company and within the first year of racing, the team was dominating races all around the city. It started with Kevin Brown and the Hanna family – Fred, Bobby, Cecile, and Dottie. Then came Robert Tuggle, Don Rainey, Jake DeBoe, and Bo Kock.

By 1973, Don Rainey was already competing in AMA events and team members including Steve Hackney, Robert Tuggle, and Fred Hanna began racing in the national AMA Motocross events. Since many of the racing team members were still in high school, they could only travel to races close to home. But life gets in the way and in 1974, the team disbanded as some of the team members wanted to pursue their college degrees.

However, the team was not gone forever. Resurrected in 2015 by four-time Grammy Winner, Lyle Lovett, the new H&H Music Racing Team is Lyle Lovett, Steve Hackney, Kevin Brown and Diamond Don Rainey, along with new members Bruce Blau and Gary Davis.

You will definitely want to see the 100cc Battle on the Bayou, sponsored by BA Motorsports & Northwest Maico, on Saturday and Sunday. The fastest racers in the world will be on the gate to race their 100cc vintage bikes. Guy Cooper, Trampas Parker, Trey Jorski, and many of the international racers will line up on the same gate. What a race!!

Friday features cross country and trials (with the Diamond-Huffman Modern Trials Support Class, sponsored by Jay Huffman, Huffman Restorations). Saturday features vintage racing and two motos of the 100cc Battle on the Bayou. The action–packed weekend wraps up with post-vintage on Sunday and two more 100cc Battle on the Bayou motos.

The wide, flat grassy pit area offers great viewing of the racetrack that runs through the pasture and into the piney woods. Diamond Don has created a natural terrain grass track reminiscent of the early 70’s. Vendors and concessions available at the track.

Jefferson is nestled deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas and seems frozen in time. It is a charming town and an elegant reminder of a bygone era. There are over a hundred buildings in the city with historical markers.

Many historic homes offer bed and breakfast accommodations. Dozens of other historic buildings house museums, craft and antique shops and restaurants.

For a full schedule and event information, visit www.DiamondDon.com.

Portrait of a world champion: Cody Webb

From humble beginnings to 2018 FIM World SuperEnduro Champion, Cody Webb embraces his trials background and the slower pace of Northern California. Discover the roots of Cody’s true grit nature and meticulous approach to life and riding.
Each of us has our own way of looking at life. The way in which we approach all facets of our day is unique to the eye of the beholder. What one rider perceives as trivial, another may view as crucial. These are the perceptions that define us as individuals and competitors. SCOTT's Vision series is a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse into a few of our riders lives and how they view it, with and without SCOTT optics. Join us as we discover these exclusive viewpoints.

WORKS CONNECTION BRAKE AND CLUTCH CAPS FOR MAGURA SYSTEMS 

                     Brake Caps   Retail $29.95                Clutch Caps   Retail $27.50                  

Works Connection has expanded its front brake cap line and clutch cap line to include Magura equipped, late model Husqvarna MX and Off-Road models. Billet aluminum construction and offered in three color choices that provide clean lines and stand out style.

                 Contact your local retailer or visit www.worksconnection.com

• ·         CNC machined from billet aluminum to exacting specifications
• ·         Polished to a mirror finish prior to anodizing
• ·         Engraved logo
• ·         Available in Blue, Red or Black anodized finish
• ·         Made in the USA

About Works Connection:

Established in 1989 with the desire to produce ‘Works’ type products and make them available to the general riding public. Works Connection continues that original idea today through constant evolution and expansion of their unique product line developed from ‘race-tested’ feedback and product research. 

For more information on Works Connection products, go to www.worksconnection.com

Shawn Ralls
WORKS CONNECTION
4130 Product Drive
Cameron Park, CA 95682
OFFICE:   530-642-9488, Ext201
FAX:         530-672-938

shawn@worksconnection.com
www.worksconnection.com

E Bikes From Yamaha...The Pedal Kind

Four New Yamaha Electric Bicycles Coming to U.S. This Summer

Before you get mad at us for covering bicycles, you should take note of the fact that electric powered two-wheelers are taking an ever-increasing piece of the motorcycle market here in the United States, and abroad. Consider these low powered “motorcycles” or put any other label on them you desire.

Did you know that Yamaha “launched the world’s first electrically power assisted bicycle in 1993”, and has produced more than four million drive units, with some shared to different OEM bicycle manufacturers?  Earlier today, we received the following press release from Yamaha regarding four electric bikes that will be available in the U.S. this summer.

You can see the details below, but looking at the specs is interesting. Three of the four bikes deliver 70Nm of max torque, while the fourth (the off-road capable YDX-TORC) puts out an impressive 80Nm max torque. These power figures compare favorably with the popular Bosch e-bike motors, and the 500 Watt-hour batteries (rechargeable in four hours) are also competitive among electric bikes. You can find all of the details on the four models on Yamaha’s website dedicated to electric bicycles. Prices range from $2,399 to $3,499.

Here is the press release from Yamaha:

CYPRESS, Calif., March 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, is announcing full specifications and pricing for its complete line of power assist electric bicycles at www.YamahaBicycles.com.

Yamaha’s Power Assist e-Bikes are designed for active outdoor enthusiasts seeking alternative commuting options, a fun and casual weekend cycling adventure, or a thrilling off-road experience. The fun, reliable, and performance-driven commuting, fitness, and mountain bikes are designed to provide the most natural and smooth power assist experience available on an e-Bike today.

Yamaha is bringing four all-new power assist electric bicycle models to the U.S. this summer, including the CrossConnect, a completely accessorized commuter/utility bike, the CrossCore, a high style efficient fitness bike, the UrbanRush, a drop-bar do everything road bike, and YDX-TORC, a performance hardtail e-mountain bike.

CrossConnect: Everyday recreation-utility for those that want to take their gear with them
Designed for all-day comfort with power, durability and performance, the Yamaha CrossConnect is an exciting and fully accessorized urban commuter with integrated components like front and rear fenders, rear rack, and headlight that maximize versatility and functional reliability. An air sleeve suspension fork with adjustable compression is unique to Yamaha’s e-commuter, with a through-axle that increases the overall stiffness and strength of the front hub, and it can be fully locked out for even greater efficiency on pavement. The Yamaha CrossConnect will be available at select e-Bike dealers this summer starting at $2,999 MSRP.

CrossCore: Fitness hybrid design for efficiency and ergonomic comfort
With a comfortable and ergonomic design, Yamaha’s CrossCore delivers a hybrid bike for the fitness-focused rider. The CrossCore features optimized geometry, class-leading power and performance features and classic Yamaha durability and reliability. The CrossCore is also equipped with mounts for a water bottle cage, fenders, and rear rack, while also pre-wired for a rear rack light as standard essentials to keep the rider’s focus on the workout. The Yamaha CrossCore will be available at select e-Bike dealers this summer starting at $2,399 MSRP.

UrbanRush: Balance of power, stiffness and speed in a sleek road bike chassis
The All-New Yamaha UrbanRush maximizes performance and commuting riding, delivering the ultimate in road-bike power, style and performance. The drop handle bar styling results in a confidence-inspiring rider position for optimal control and efficiency. Stylish convenience features include recessed fender mounts, front headlight and pre-wiring for Yamaha’s rear rack with integrated tail light. The Yamaha UrbanRush will be available at select e-Bike dealers this summer starting at $3,299 MSRP.

YDX-TORC: Agile hardtail e-mountain bike with powerful and responsive performance
Yamaha’s all-new 2.75 hardtail power assist mountain bike, the YDX-TORC, is powered by the award-winning Yamaha PW-X center drive motor system offering more power for more adventure and exploration on the trails. The YDX-TORC is built with a new progressive geometry — unlike any other hardtail trail e-Bike — that allows for a more playful and stable balance for more trails of all grades. And the motor’s low center-of-gravity supports optimized handling and cornering on tight switchbacks, and quick acceleration out of the saddle. The Yamaha YDX-TORC will be available at select e-Bike dealers this summer starting at $3,499 MSRP.

Yamaha Power Assist Bicycle Geometry; Rider Fit
Yamaha is the only manufacturer with 25-years of experience designing complete e-Bikes from frame to motor. That bicycle design heritage reveals itself with the most comprehensive approach to matching the behavior of the motor in alignment with fine tuning the rider’s body position on the bicycle to allow for a natural and confidence inspiring feel and handling characteristic. Yamaha’s bicycle frame dimensions and component designs are created to increase rider comfort, enhance rider control, and to maximize the efficiencies of both rider and motor for each of the intended riding experiences, which include: Performance Road, Recreational Utility and Mountain.

The all-new models have three sizing options which will allow for most riders to easily find a bicycle that fits their body size and riding style. Yamaha’s unique differences to the bicycle design ultimately translates into the category’s most consistent fit, performance and comfort regardless of the rider’s size.

“Yamaha’s core design philosophy drives our designers to create products that blend and balance person and machine, and we have created a unique ride characteristic on all of our power assist bicycles,” said Drew Engelmann, Yamaha’s Power Assist bicycle group sales and marketing manager. “Yamaha’s Power Assist bicycles strike the best balance of modern e-Bike styling with maximum comfort and superior handling. It’s our history of making e-Bikes for 25 years that has given our design team firsthand knowledge and experience that no other brand possesses in this market, and we are excited to be bringing a ride experience that is unlike any other to the U.S. riding community. It is going to be a lot of fun.”

Yamaha’s PWSeries SE and PW-X Motors and Triple Sensor System
Yamaha’s UrbanRush, CrossCore and CrossConnect e-Bikes are powered by the PWSeries SE motor, which has four levels of support: ECO+, ECO, STANDARD, and HIGH providing 70Nm of max torque and cadence support up to 110 rpm.

The award-winning PW-X motor on the YDX-TORC e-mountain bike features five power levels: ECO+, ECO, STANDARD, HIGH and EXPW. The first four modes deliver 70Nm of max torque with a cadence support of up to 110 rpm, while EXPW increases max torque to an impressive 80Nm and rpms up to 120. The PW-X also features a 13% percent smaller, lighter motor case, and faster ratchet ring engagement for faster motor response and increased performance when riding under more challenging conditions.

All of Yamaha’s power assist motors provide the purest, most natural assist feel thanks to Yamaha’s Triple Sensor System that has been exclusively optimized for Yamaha’s U.S. power assist bikes. Through the Triple Sensor System, thousands of times per second, frictionless sensors measure the rider’s pedal-torque, bicycle speed, and crank arm cadence with tremendous precision. Communicating back to the motor, the system helps determine how much assist is provided based on the changing terrain and situations (such as hills, speed, etc.) common to cycling. The design is unique to Yamaha and results in a drive unit that provides the smoothest, most refined and natural rides available in an e-Bike.

Every model in the Yamaha Power Assist Bicycles lineup is powered by a 500 Watt-hour Lithium-ion battery pack with a 36V output that recharges in just four hours. The bikes employ a center mount system in which the power unit and battery are secured close to the pedals to create a low center-of-gravity for better weight balance and excellent riding stability, while the unique side-exiting battery design allows for a lower stand-over height for greater rider confidence.

Yamaha Multifunction Display
All of Yamaha’s Power Assist bicycles feature an easy to use and easy to read multi-function LCD display unit. The compact unit is mounted to the Yamaha alloy handlebars, providing an ergonomic interface while riding, and the LCD assist-mode and LED power-level indicators make for a great quick reference to power assist settings. Simple, ergonomically designed push-button controls toggle through the various settings like rolling speed, max speed, trip meter, odometer, range, battery capacity, and cadence.

Yamaha History in e-Bikes
Yamaha Motor Company, Ltd. (YMC) launched the world’s first electrically power assisted bicycle in 1993 and has since produced more than 4 million drive units and sold more than 2 million Yamaha power assist bicycles. YMC supplies class-leading e-Bike Systems to select OEM partners worldwide.

“Yamaha is a world leader in eBike design and innovation, and we’re excited to bring these four all-new models – with more than two decades of experience and expertise built into them – to the U.S. this summer,” said Rob Trester, who leads Yamaha’s New Business Development Division and e-Bike unit. “Electric assist bicycles open up the world of cycling to both current cyclists and an all-new audience for a variety of fun and practical purposes. Since we unveiled the Yamaha Power Assist e-Bikes to the U.S. last fall, we’ve seen incredible enthusiasm and interest from consumers, retailers, and the e-Bike community that is looking for a fun, reliable performance e-Bike package.”

All of Yamaha’s Power Assist bikes are class 1 e-Bikes.

View Yamaha’s full line of Power Assist Bicycles at www.YamahaBicycles.com

Cody Webb Wins Championship!

Cody Webb 2018 SuperEnduro World Champion

Cody Webb has won the 2018 SuperEnduro World Championship in dramatic showdown in Sweden.

Webb has been the hottest man in the 2018 championship, arriving in Sweden for the final three races of the season with a healthy 17 point lead.

It was a comfortable lead but with 60 points up for grabs in Sweden, and in this unpredictable sport, Cody knows only too well that it can all come down the wire.

And so it did as main rival Taddy Blazusiak was looking every bit the challenger on the night – winning race one while Cody was down in fourth at the flag.

 

Photo Credit: Andrea Belluschi/Future7Media

 

Webb was putting in some good laps but by his own admission was making too many errors while Taddy looked fast and confident.

Then race two came along and just when Blazusiak was challenging Billy Bolt for the lead a suspension failure put him out of the race and out of the championship.

That left Webb free to relax and bring it home in third and in doing so take his first world championship title - lest we should forget beating an incredibly high quality field of riders.  

A slightly relieved Cody said after the race: “It was a great championship for sure. It was always going to be down to the wire. I was riding tight there today and I can’t really believe it."

 

Photo Credit: Andrea Belluschi/Future7Media

“To be World Champion is incredible," Cody continued, "I respect all these guys I’m racing with but you know Taddy was my idol and here we are going bar-to-bar, it's incredible.

“I rode pretty bad tonight and it wasn’t championship form but you know it is a season for a reason and that’s what counts.

“I can’t quite believe but I am World Champion! That makes me the best in the world for now and I’ll take it.”

McGrath - Always the King

McGrath - Always the King

Posted on April 01, 2018

My favourite rider of all-time to interview was Jeremy Mcgrath. The story below sums up why. From a guy in America who looked up the the King of Supercross.

In 1992 I was 12 years old and this was the year that @jeremymcgrathserved notice to the 250 class “which now the 450 class” that it was going to be a long time until there was going to be another Supercross champion. 

He was my idol I wanted to ride a motorcycle like him, I wanted the blonde highlights like him, hell I even pierced my ears like him. He was Showtime before the King 👑 but most of all I am lucky enough to call Jeremy my friend. 

This past weekend I watched Jeremy put on one hell of a show at the age of 46 racing and beating a @keeferinctesting one hell of a rider/racer after not racing a dirt bike for 7 years. In Jeremy’s next race against me he was running 3rd while I was in 2nd and I had one of the most horrific crashes that I’ve experienced in 15 years probably. I was knocked unconscious for over two minutes and Jeremy never made it past me once I crashed. He proceeded to stay by my side and make sure I was safe until the medics got to me. Once he knew I was in hands of the medics he assured my son that Dad was going to be ok. 

This is what motocross is all about people. We all need to remember where we came from and what we are doing. It’s a very dangerous sport that very few can retire after racing but guys like Jeremy remind me why I fell in love with this sport. Thank you too Jeremy and all my moto Fam that were their for me and Mason on Saturday that was a scary moment that could have been much worse. 

It was a pleasure to watch two legends like @jeremymcgrathand @ryanvillopoto come out and race with us enthusiasts where it all started for them. And a Big THANK YOU to the @twmxraceseries @twmxdotcom team for putting together one help of a event for us old guys.

Husky Wins Abu Dhabi

Quintanilla wins 2018 Desert Challenge from Sunderland and Benavides

Pablo Quintanilla has taken victory at the opening round of the 2018 Cross Country Rallies World Championship – the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Pablo Quintanilla won a tactical see-saw battle with rivals Sam Sunderland and Kevin Benavides to finish five minutes clear by the end of stage five in the UAE.

The final stage of the rally got off to an MX-style start with the riders in line. The fastest riders formed a group over the opening stretches of the 218 kilometre special.

Reports say the course gradually turned to dusty tracks which meant riders had to slow and spread out to avoid the dangers of visibility.

At the head of the field on stage five though was Dakar champion, Matthias Walkner dictating the pace with Honda’s Kevin Benavides coming home within one second of each other.

 

Photo Credit: Edoardo Bauer/Rally Zone

Sam Sunderland finished just 19seconds back and cemented second overall in the event. Toby Price was fourth on the stage with Quintanilla just 1:25s behind.

Retaining his lead in the overall classification, the Husqvarna rider wrapped up the 2018 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge five minutes and 11 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

“I’m really happy to get the win in Abu Dhabi and it’s been a fantastic start to the new season.” Said Quintanilla.

“This year’s Desert Challenge has been a really tough race from the beginning until the end. During these last few days we battled through extreme heat and the massive sand dunes of the area. There were many high-speed tracks and lots of off-piste sections where navigation was crucial. We also had some great fights with my main competitors and I’m happy I came out on top.”

 

Photo Credit: Marcin Kin

2018 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Stage 5 Classification

1. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 02:46:40
2. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 02:46:40.05
3. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 02:46:59
4. Toby Price (KTM) 02:47:26
5. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 02:48:05

2018 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Final Overall Standings

1. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 16:51:11
2. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 16:56:22
3. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 16:59:45
4. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 17:00:47
5. Paulo Goncalves (Honda) 17:09:46

Red Plate To #222